Imperfections (Michael Clifford)

14

When we got to school, I went straight to the front office. I gave the lady at the desk my doctors note and she didn't even look up enough to see who I was, so I didn't get any weird looks or questions, luckily. I walked out to see Michael was right outside the door, waiting for me.

"Did she say anything?" He asked looking at my neck.

I just shook my head and we started walking down the hall. We met up with Ashton, Calum, and Alexis in the cafeteria. I sat down next to Michael, putting my head on his shoulder.

"Hey, guys." I said to break the silence.

"Hey." Everyone said other than Alexis.

Alexis was just staring at me in disbelief. Calum lightly nudged her and she stopped staring. "Hey." She mumbled.

The bell for first period rang so we all lazily got up. Me and Michael don't have any classes together but I had first with Alexis, so I decided to say something. "It seems like forever since the last time we talked."

"Yeah, it does. Do you, maybe, want to sit together?" She asked smiling.

"Sure." In basically all classes, you can sit wherever you want everyday.

We walked in and sat in the far corner, so we could talk, and no one would be facing me, so they couldn't see the marks. We were one of the first few there, so I didn't get any questions or anything, but I did get a lot of weird looks in the hall.

"So, how have you been?" She asked.

"Well, everything was good. I was friends with Monica and all of the preps but I didn't act like them so I wasn't as popular. When me and Michael started dating, she was telling me to break up with him because 'he wasn't one of us'. I called her a stuck up bitch and we haven't talked since. Did Calum tell you why I was in the hospital?"

"No he didn't say why, but he did say that you had to go." She told me.

"Okay well, I fell off of the bad and a piece of wood went through my side."

"Oh God!" She whispered.

"Yeah. Then, the day they let me out, my parents did all this." I said pointing to my neck, face, arm, and wrist.

"Your parents did that?" She asked in disbelief.

"Calum didn't tell you any of it?" I asked a tad surprised.

She shook her head no and I figured I wouldn't tell her the story yet. It would make me cry.

"I would rather not cry in class, but maybe I can tell you the story later." I said and with that, we watched whatever video the teacher put on. It feels like all we do in classes these days, is watch videos. I'm okay with it, though, because if we talk, no one notices.

~~~

I decided to go use the bathroom before going to lunch. I walked into one of the stalls and locked it right before I group of girls came in, talking.

"I heard Michael did it."

"So he tried to kill her?"

"Yeah, I guess, those marks on her neck are bad. And whoever it was gave her a hickey."

"I bet it was Michael." They kept going and I realized it was Monica and all of her friends and they were talking about me.

"I've been to her house before, and her parents were always yelling, what if it was them?" Monica said.

"Still, she's so pathetic, she can't even protect herself."

"Yeah."

"True."

"We should ask her who it was."

"Okay, every one of us needs to ask her to make sure all of us get the same answer."

"Got it."

"I still bet it was Michael."

"Probably."

"Yeah."

"I told her to break up with him." I decided now would be a good time to speak up.

I unlocked to stall and walked towards the sinks.

"It's worse than I thought." One whispered.

"Someone say something." Another whispered.

"Lilly?" They were, like, scared....

I looked up from washing my hands to tell them I was listening.

"W-who..... Who did.... That?" One asked me. I think her name was Kelly.

"Just so you know, I was in here the whole time you've been talking. You don't deserve to know who did it, but I will tell you this." I finished drying my hands and got really close to them. "This was NOT Michael." I got in their faces. "For one, he wouldn't do this to me. For two he was so angry when he found out, he almost punched the wall. And.... Why do you even care?"

"Because if Michael did this, he need to be put behind bars." Monica said.

I grabbed her by the top of her shirt and pushed her against the wall.

"Did you not hear me?! I said MICHAEL DIDNT DO IT!"

"Why are defending that arrogant bastard?" She asked.

"What did you call him?"

"I called him an arrogant bastard! And you're no better! You know he did this to you and you defend him! He needs to be put behind bars and so do you! You've become a major bitch since you guys started dating!"

"Are you trying to make me angry?" I laughed. "Well unfortunately for you, it's working!" I yelled and punched her in her stomach.

The other girls just gasped.

"Like I said Michael has changed you. You would never have done that any other time. He's made you an awful person." She said trying to steadily breath.

I punched in the nose and it immediately started bleeding. I hope I broke it. I let go and grabbed her a piece of paper towel. I handed it to her and walked out. After a couple seconds she walked out.

"What happened to you?!" Someone asked her.

I sent her a glare and she replied with "I fell..." Oh my god! She's scared of me!